Hundreds of Girl Scouts cross Talmadge Bridge for ceremony

Hundreds of Girl Scouts from across the country crossed the Talmadge Bridge Saturday morning, marking their move from one level of Girl Scouting to another.

The Girl Scout bridging ceremony is a physical way to show the transition to a higher level of scouting. Sue Else, CEO of Girl Scouts of Historic Georgia, said using the Talmadge Bridge in the historic home of Juliette Gordon Low and Girl Scouting makes this ceremony particularly special.

"I think it was just so meaningful," Else said. "They are literally going from one level of Girl Scouting to the next, and to be able to to see and walk across the Talmadge and see the history of Juliette (Gordon Low) and know that this is where it all started, that's really special."

The ceremony is part of QuestFest 2017, a massive scavenger hunt throughout Savannah's Historic District.

"We have over 1,000 girls, and we think that this festival will grow every year," Else said. "Girls want to come home. You know, this is home for them, for Girl Scouts, so they want to come home. We want to help them learn about the heritage of Savannah, learn about what Juliette was thinking when she was here. They literally get to walk in the same footprint that she walked in, so it's very nice that they are coming here and doing all this fun stuff too."

The girls come from 22 states and Puerto Rico and Canada, and Else said the scouts have particularly enjoyed having these experiences with girls from other places.

"When I was talking to girls, I said "So what's your favorite thing so far about being in Savannah?'" Else said. "And they said actually meeting girls from other states that are doing the same things, but maybe they do it a little bit differently. So they learn from each other, and they have a great time just meeting each other."

QuestFest will finish on Saturday evening with a celebration featuring performances from Nassau County New York Girl Scout Chorus and country duo Maddie and Tae. The winners of QuestFest will also be announced.